f\ll'f'  7 


L/ 


Issued  March  •">.  1910. 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE, 

BUREAU  01    PLANT  l\l'i-Tl:Y     Circular  No.  50. 

B.  T.  GALLOWAY,  Chief  of  Bureau. 


THREE  MUCH -MISREPRESENTED 
SORGHUMS. 


CARLETON  R.  BALL, 

Agronomist  in  Charge  of  Grain-Sorghum 
Investigations. 


24491     10 


WASHINGTON    :  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE   :   1010 


UNIV  OF  Fl  Lip. 
DOCUMENTS  DEPT 

1 

r\  rt  try 

U.S.  DEPOSITORY 

BUREAU  OF  PLANT  INDUSTRY. 


Chief  of  Bureau,  Beverly  T.  Galloway. 
Assistant  Chief  of  Bureau,  G.  Harold  Powell. 
Editor,  J.  E.  Rockwell. 
Chief  Clerk,  James  E.  Jones. 
[Cir.  50] 
2 


II.  p.  I 

fHREE  MUCH-MISREPRESENTED  SORGHUMS." 


SHALLU       -CALIFORNIA    WHEAT"). 

The  following  exl  racts  arc  from  lei  ters  received  on  November  1  and 
8,  1909,  respectively*  from  a  well-known  seed  firm.  They  indicate 
thai  attempts  arc  being  made  to  sell  seed  of  shallu,  a  variety  of  sor- 
ghum, at  exorbitant  prices,  by  unwarranted  claims  of  enormous 
yields. 

We  inclose  a  sample  of  grain  which  an  Oklahoma  man  i-  selling  under  the  name  of 
"California  wheat,"  al  50  cents  a  pound.  He  claims  it  will  produce  from  200  to  100 
bushels  per  acre.    *  We  corre  ponded  with  him  and  bought  a  pound  of  the 

Beed  i"  investigate.     We  have  it  over  his  own  signature  thai  this  grain  will  produce 
from  200  to  100  bushels  per  acre.     He  sell    the  seed  it  50  cents  a  pound,  or  40  cents  in 
and  lots.     Of  course,  may  be  sincere  in  thinking  that  he  has  a 

wonderful  new  grain,  but  we  think  the  public  ought  to  be  guardi  d  against  the  repeti- 
tion of  the  Alaska  wheal  excitement  of  lasl  year. 

HISTORY    OF   THE    VARIETY. 

The  writer  has  had  this  variety  under  experimental  cultivation 
since  the  season  of  1905.  It  has  been  grown  at  different  stations  in 
the  Great  Plains  area  and  also  at  the  Arlington  Experimental  Farm, 
near  Washington,  D.  C,  under  Agrostology  No.  2650  and  drain 
Investigations  Nos.  85,  LOO,  125,  and  165.  It  has  also  been  tested  by 
a  few  of  the  state  agricultural  experiment  stations,  particularly 
Louisiana,  Oklahoma,  and  Kansas.  Its  known  history  in  this 
country  may  be  related  briefly. 

"  Numerous  van  sties  of  sorghums  have  been  broughl  to  this  country  during  the  past 
hundred  years  i  e,  grain,  or  sugar  crops.     Many  such  importations  are 

soon  discarded  from  general  cultivation  as  being  inferior,  unsatisfactory  sorts,  but 
remain  in  limited  usi  ed  localil  ies.     From  time  to  time  these  localized  crops 

are  di  anew  by  persons  unacquainted  with  their  history  and  habits  ami  are 

broughl  topublii  wonderfully  desirable  varieties.     Sometimes  they  oe 

little  more  trouble  than  a  burdensome  corre  pondence  on  the  pari  of  those  handling 
Buch  crops.     In  other  instances  thi  ploited  for  profit  by  individuals  whose 

•  in-  are  misleading,  though  often  made  without  such  intention.  The  great  need 
for  profitable  drought-resistant  crops  in  the  dry  regions  of  the  West  leads  many 
farmers  to  invest  in  such  over-advertised  seeds.     This  paper  gives  the  known  facta 

ning  three  varieties  of  sorghum  about  which  much  confusion  of  ideas  exists  and 
some  misleading  statements  are  being  made.— B.  T.  Gallowai  Bureau. 

[Clr.50]  3 


4  THREE    MUCH-MISREPRESENTED    SORGHUMS. 

It  was  imported  directly  from  India  by  officers  of  the  Louisiana 
State  Experiment  Station,  about  1890.  By  them  it  was  known  as 
"Egyptian  wheat,"  and  was  found  to  be  an  inferior  variety  of  sor- 
ghum, as  the  following  quotations  will  show. 

Recently  introduced;  stalk  small;  panicle  open  and  spreading;  not  equal  to  other 
kinds  given  here.0 

Low  growing,  inferior  kind,  nonsaccharine.  Has  seeds  in  open  panicle.  Inferior 
to  yellow  and  white  milo  and  kafir  corn;  should  not  be  used  with  expectation  of  best 
results.  & 

We  grew  it  for  many  years  at  all  three  stations  and  abandoned  it  as  inferior  for 
forage  to  other  sorghums.  "Egyptian  wheat"  was  imported  directly  from  India  by 
us  and  corresponds  to  your  description  of  shallu.  Our  farm  managers  well  recognize 
it  from  your  description.  <" 

Though  discarded  by  the  Louisiana  station,  small  lots  of  the  seed 
had  been  taken  from  time  to  time  by  visitors.  In  this  way  the 
variety  was  carried  to  other  localities,  principally  westward  into 
Texas  and  Oklahoma.  Early  in  1905  it  came  to  the  writer's  atten- 
tion in  Texas,  under  the  name  "California  wheat."  Through  field 
investigation  and  the  aid  of  agricultural  papers  it  was  found  growing 
at  scattered  points  in  Oklahoma  and  Texas.  Many  names,  mostly 
somewhat  misleading,  have  been  applied  to  it  in  the  past  five  years. 
Among  them  are  "California  Rice  corn,"  "  California  wheat,"  "Chicken 
corn,"  "Chinese  Golden  sorghum,"  "Eg\^ptian  rice,"  "Egyptian 
wheat,"  "Mexican  wheat,"  and  "Rice  corn." 

RELATIONSHIPS    AND    DESCRIPTION. 

Shallu  belongs  to  a  group  of  sorghums  entirely  distinct  from  any  of 
the  other  groups  grown  in  this  country.  Botanically,  it  belongs  to 
the  variety  roxburghii  Hackel.  This  variety  is  found  commonly  in 
some  parts  of  India  and  also  in  Africa,  especially  in  the  Sudan 
and  in  central  East  Africa.  It  seems  to  be  the  leading  variety 
in  the  island  of  Madagascar.  Recent  importations  are  represented 
by  Seed  and  Plant  Introduction  Nos.  16856  and  18192  from 
German  East  Africa,  23422  from  Natal,  23714  to  23716  from  Portu- 
guese East  Africa,  and  24339  and  24340  from  the  Transvaal.  Other 
recent  numbers  belong  probably  to  this  variety,  but  the  plants  have 
not  matured,  and  this  fact  can  not  be  certainly  determined  from  the 
seed  alone. 

As  found  in  Africa  and  India  the  group  possesses  the  following 
characters.  The  steins  are  tall  and  slender,  6  to  12  feet  in  height. 
They  stool  freely,  producing  a  large  number  of  suckers.  The  pith  is 
neither  juicy  nor  sweet,  but  dry.     The  heads  or  panicles  (fig.  1)  are 

"  Bulletin  19,  second  scries,  Louisiana  State  Experiment  Stations,  1892,  p.  538. 
6  Bulletin  53,  Louisiana  State  Agricultural  Experiment  Station,  1898,  p.  12. 
cDr.  W.  C.  Stubbs  (formerly  director  of  the  Louisiana  State  Experiment  Stations), 
in  a  letter  to  the  writer,  March  27,  L906. 

|('ir.  50] 


I  ill: I.!.    MUCH-MISREPRESENTED   SORGHUMS. 


large  and  loose,  usually  conical,  that  is,  broad  al  the  base  and  pointed 
at  the  top,  like  those  of  typical  Early  Amber  sorgo.  The  long  and 
slender  branches  of  the  head  arc  spreading  and  drooping  at  the  tips. 
This  group,  comprising  the  variety  roxburgMi,  is  separated  easily 
from  all  other  groups  of  sorghums  by  the  shape  and  position  of  the 
glumes  ai  maturity.  The  two  glumes,  or  hulls,  are  broadly  lance- 
olate or  ovate  in  shape  and  closely  surround  the  young  seed,  as  in  all 
sorghums.     As   the  seed    ripens,    however,   these  glumes  gradually 


Fig.  l      rwo  heads  of  shallu.    (One-fourth  natural  size.) 

open  or  spread  widely  apart,  complete^  exposing  the  seed.  At  the 
same  time  the  edges  of  each  glume  begin  to  curl  inward  and  become 
quite  involute.  In  different  varieties  the  glumes  varj  from  pale 
yellow  i"  black  and  the  seeds  from  white  to  buff,  pale  red,  and  red- 
dish 1'i'ow  n. 

<>iil\  one  varietj  is  found  in  this  country.  It  grows  from  5  to  8 
feet  high,  according  to  elevation,  soil,  and  moisture.  It  produces 
from  2  i"  5  suckers.  The  stems  hear  from  1  I  to  15  leaves  of  medium 
size,   13  being  the  average  number.     The  heads  are  of  the  shape 

[Clr.50] 


6  THREE    MUCH-MISREPRESENTED   SORGHUMS. 

described  above,  8  to  15  inches  long,  and  of  a  pale-yellow  color.  The 
glumes  are  a  pale-straw  color  and  the  oval  seeds  whitish  to  pale  buff 
and  about  the  size  of  the  kafir  seed. 

CROP  CHARACTERS  AND  PROBABLE  VALUE. 

Strong  claims  are  being  made  for  shallu  by  some  of  those  who  are 
growing  it.  Five  ways  are  commonly  stated  in  which  the  growers 
believe  it  excels  all  other  sorghums.  These  are  (1)  in  drought 
resistance,  (2)  in  yields  of  seed  to  the  acre,  (3)  in  the  feeding  value 
of  the  grain,  (4)  in  the  tonnage  of  fodder  produced,  and  (5)  in  the 
feeding  value  of  this  fodder.  These  five  claims  may  be  discussed  in 
their  order. 

(1)  Drought  resistance. — Little  is  known  concerning  the  absolute 
drought  resistance  of  shallu.  In  just  what  characters  drought 
resistance  resides  is  an  open  question.  Statements  as  to  the  relative 
resistance  of  different  varieties  must  always  take  account  of  the 
stand  of  plants,  as  well  as  of  differences  in  the  soil,  in  the  fertility, 
and  in  the  water  content  of  the  plats  or  fields.  Experiments  so  far 
do  not  indicate  that  shallu  is  more  drought  resistant  than  other  sor- 
ghums. In  unfavorable  seasons  it  suffers  in  the  same  way  and  in 
the  same  proportion,  apparently,  as  do  other  grain  sorghums;  that 
is,  on  many  stalks  the  heads  fail  to  push  completely  out  of  the  boot, 
or  upper  leaf  sheath. 

(2)  Yields  of  grain. — Farmers  growing  this  crop  for  the  first  time 
commonly  estimate  that  their  fields  will  yield  from  75  to  100  bushels 
to  the  acre.  They  are  misled  by  the  large  size  of  the  heads  in  com- 
parison with  those  of  milos  and  kafirs.  The  heads  of  shallu  are, 
however,  loose  and  open  and  usually  do  not  weigh  as  much  as  those 
of  the  other  grain  sorghums.  Besides  this,  the  shallu  heads  do  not 
contain  as  high  a  percentage  of  seed  in  proportion  to  the  weight  of 
the  head  as  do  the  other  grain  sorghums. 

The  advertiser  mentioned  in  the  extracts  at  the  beginning  of  this 
circular  claims  a  yield  of  200  to  400  bushels  to  the  acre.  Such  claims 
are  simply  preposterous.  The  best  of  the  grain-producing  sorghums 
ra  rely  exceed  a  yield  of  51 1  bushels  to  the  acre.  Their  average  yields  in 
favorable  seasons  lie  somewhere  between  35  and  40  bushels  to  the 
acre.  In  unfavorable  seasons  the  yields  are,  of  course,  much  lower. 
The  average  yields  of  inilos  and  kafirs  for  all  seasons  in  any  ten-year 
period  are  not  likely  to  be  much  above  30  bushels.  There  is  yet  no 
evidence  that  the  average  yields  of  shallu  will  exceed  those  of  such 
crops  as  the  milos  and  kafirs. 

At  the  experimental  farms  of  the  Office  of  Grain  Investigations  of 

the  Bureau  of  Plant  Industry  comparatively  Low  yields  of  grain  have 

been  secured   in   the  experiments  with  shallu.     In  the  year  1906, 

which  was  a  very  favorable  season  for  grain  sorghums  in  the  Pan- 

[Clr.  50] 


THREE    MUCH-MISREPRES1  N  I  ED   SORGH  I    MS.  . 

handle  region  of  Texas,  2  plats  at  the  Charming  Experimental  Farm 
yielded  at  the  rate  of  I!1',  bushels  to  the  acre.  On  the  same  farm 
milo  yielded  as  bigh  as  16  bushels,  Blackhull  kafir  35,  and  Red  kafir 
17.  In  1906  the  yield  of  shallu  at  the  Amarillo  Experimental  Farm, 
from  seed  grown  in  thai  vicinity,  was  only  25.2  bushels.  At  the 
same  time  Blackhull  kafir  yielded  from  13  to  54  bushels  and  a  plat  of 
Red  kafir,  15.9.  Most  of  the  milo  was  destroyed  by  bail.  In  the 
years  succeeding  L906,  shallu  has  never  done  quite  as  well  in  compari- 
son with  the  other  grain  sorghums  as  it  did  in  that  year. 

A  considerable  correspondence  with  farmers  who  are  raising  this 
crop  has  brought  t  o  light  only  one  high  yield  in  \\  Inch  actual  weighing 
or  measuring  of  the  thrashed  grain  is  claimed.  'This  yield  is  said  to 
have  been  60  bushels  to  the  acre,  figured  at  56  pounds  to  the  bushel. 
It  was  secured  in  the  favorable  season  of  1908,  in  the  southern  part 
<>f  the  Plains  region,  where  the  season  is  comparatively  long  and  the 
ele\  at  ion  less  than  2,000  feet . 

Feeding  ruin,  of  t\<  grain.  No  experiments  in  feeding  shallu 
grain  have  been  made  by  any  of  the  state  agricultural  experiment 
st  at  ions,  so  far  as  known.  Other  grain  sorghums  are  known  to  have 
a  feeding  value  about  90  per  cent  as  great  as  that  of  corn.  It  is  with 
them  t  hat  shallu  must  he  compared.  The  chemical  analysis  ,>\'  shallu 
does  not   indicate  a  different   composition  in  any  particular.     One 

grower  has  published   the  statement    that    as  ;i    feed   for  milch  cows  he 

finds  shallu  superior  to  cottonseed  in  the  production  of  milk  and 
butter.  This  opinion  i-  no  doubl  honestly  entertained,  hut  such  a 
general  statement  is  likely  to  lead  many  to  believe  that  the  starchy 
grain  sorghums,  rich  in  carbohydrates,  can  he  used  a-  feeding  sub- 
stitutes for  bran,  cottonseed,   and   other  products   rich   in   protein. 

This,  of  COUrse,  is  Hot    t  he  cave. 

(4)  Yields  of  forage."  From  the  forage  standpoint  shallu  does  not 
make  any  better  showing.  At  the  Channing  farm  in  1906,  the  2 
grain  plats  yielded  an  average  of  3,227  pounds  of  forage  to  the  acre, 
including  the  weight  of  the  seed.  On  the  same  farm,  the  12  grain 
plats  of  milo  averaged  aboul  t,800  pound-  of  forage,  the  5  plats  of 
Blackhull  kafir  about  6,300  pounds,  while  l  plat  of  Red  kafir  yielded 
7,800  pounds  to  the  acre.  On  the  Amarillo  Experimental  Farm  in 
t he  same  season,  the  grain  plat  of  shallu  yielded  at  t he  rate  of  7,100 
pound-  of  fodder  to  the  acre,  including  the  seed.  In  comparison.  6 
grain  plats  of  milo  averaged  9,000  pounds  of  fodder  to  the  acre,  and 
17  grain  plat-  of  Blackhull  kafir  and  6  grain  plats  of  Red  kafir  aver- 
aged  over    10,000   pound-  each   to   the   acre.     In   the   plats  grown 


"  The  forage  plats  of  sorghums  on  the  Amarillo  Experimental  Farm  were  maintained 

by  ih'-  <  »ili I  Forage-Plant  Investigations  of  the  Bureau  of  Planl   Industry.     Mr. 

C.  V.  Piper,  agi  I   in  chargi  in  the  conclusions  drawn  regarding  the 

value  of  shallu,  and  the  figures  presented  in  this  connection. 


8  THREE   MUCH-MISREPRESENTED  SORGHUMS. 

especially  for  forage,  Blackball  kafir  averaged  over  12,000  pounds, 
Red  kafir  over  13,000  pounds,  and  the  two  best  sorgos,a  or  sweet 
sorghums,  over  15,000  and  17,000  pounds  to  the  acre,  respectively. 

(5)  Value  of  the  forage. — There  is  also  no  reason  for  believing  that 
the  quality  of  the  forage  is  better  than  that  produced  by  kafirs  and 
sorgos.  The.  stems  are  dry  and  pithy,  like  those  of  corn,  milos,  and 
the  kowliangs.  The  kafirs  have  somewhat  juicy  stems,  while  the 
sorgos  are  both  juicy  and  sweet.  The  average  number  of  leaves  to 
the  stalk  is  very  close  to  13,  which  is  slightly  lower  than  the  average 
for  kafirs  and  all  sorgo  varieties  except  the  Amber  group.  These 
facts  concerning  the  dry  stalks,  the  ordinary  number  of  leaves,  and 
the  comparatively  low  tonnage  of  forage  do  not  indicate  a  variety  of 
high  forage  value,  either  in  quantity  or  quality. 

OBJECTIONABLE    CHARACTERS    IN    SHALLU. 

While  growing  shallu  on  a  small  scale  in  1905  and  more  exten- 
sively in  1906,  some  serious  faults  were  found  in  it.  The  four  most 
prominent  of  these  are  stooling,  lodging,  retaining  the  base  of  the  head 
in  the  boot,  and  shattering.  Experiments  with  shallu  in  recent  years 
have  been  largely  directed  toward  getting  rid  of  these  undesirable 
characters. 

Stooling,  or  producing  suckers  at  the  base  of  the  main  stalk,  is  not 
desirable  in  grain  sorghum,  however  it  may  be  regarded  in  forage 
varieties  or  in  small  grains  generally.  The  heads  borne  on  suckers 
are  always  later  in  maturing  than  those  on  the  main  stalk.  More- 
over the  suckers  are  not  usually  of  the  same  height  as  the  main  stalks. 
This  lack  of  uniformity  in  ripening  and  in  height  causes  difficulty  in 
harvesting  the  grain,  especially  with  any  type  of  header.  While  a 
smaller  quantity  of  seed  may  be  required  in  sowing  a  freely  stooling 
variety,  so  little  seed  is  used  for  any  of  the  grain  sorghums  that  this 
small  saving  is  not  worth  considering. 

Its  habit  of  lodging  is  one  of  the  most  serious  objections  to  shallu. 
Just  at  the  time  when  the  heads  are  heavy  with  the  green  seeds  the 
stalks  begin  to  lodge.  In  the  writer's  experiments  it  has  happened 
more  than  once  that  by  the  time  one-tenth  of  the  heads  were  ripe 
fully  one-fourth  of  the  stalks  were  down  in  a  hopeless  tangle. 

The  failure  of  the  heads  to  come  completely  out  of  the  boot  is  often 
a  serious  matter  to  the  grain  grower.  On  a  considerable  proportion 
of  the  stalks  the  base  of  the  head  remains  inclosed  by  the  sheath,  even 
in  favorable  seasons.  No  seed  is  produced  on  this  included  portion, 
and  the  yield  is  reduced  to  that  extent.  This  basal  part  of  the  head 
also  becomes  infested  with  plant  lice  and  worms  and  usually  becomes 

aSorgo  i^  tin-  name  which  has  been  adopted  for  the  group  railed  variously  Bweet, 
Baccharine,  or  sirup  sorghums,  and  commonly,  but  erroneously,  "sugarcane." 
[CIr.  .".oj 


THBEE    MUCH    MISREPRESENTED  SORGHUMS.  9 

moldy  and  rotten.  At  thrashing  time  this  mold}  material  is  scat- 
tered through  the  good  seed  and  causes  further  loss. 

There  lias  also  1 n  trouble  with  the  shattering  of  the  seed.     This 

results  especially  where  the  crop  is  allowed  to  stand  in  the  held  until 
pasl  fully  ripe.  It  also  occurs  where  the  crop  is  cut  when  ripe  and 
allowed  to  remain  in  the  shock  through  the  fall.  When  these  shocks 
are  taken  u|>  for  thrashing  or  feeding,  the  seed  shatters  verj  rea  lily 
and  much  i-  lost  m  spite  of  careful  handling. 

CONCLUSION. 

It  i^  not  claimed  that  shallu  is  without  value  for  the  sorghum- 
growing  regions.  It-  alleged  superiority  to  other  well-known  and 
quite  satisfactory  varieties  has  not  been  proved,  however.  On  the 
contrary,  there  i-  strong  evidence  that  it  i-  somewhat  inferior  to 
milos  and  kafirs.  In  any  case  it  should  he  tried  only  on  a  small  scale 
at  first.  For  grain  production  a  seeding  of  2  to  4  pounds  to  the  acre 
will  he  (piite  sufficient,  the  quantity  varying  with  the  soil,  elevation, 
and  latitude.  There  is  no  reason  w  hatever  for  paj  ing  an  exorbitant 
price  for  the  seed  in  either  la  rire  or  small  quantities. 

The  following  statement  by  Prof.  A.  M.  Ten  Eyck,  of  the  Kansas 
Agricultural  Experiment  Station,  published  recently  in  the  Kansas 
Farmer,  is  to  the  point ; 

The  testa  of  the  crop  at  this  station  indicate  that  ii  is  do!  so  valuable  as  sorghum 
or  kali  r  cum  either  for  fodder  or  for  seed.  The  yields  of  the  grain  have  been  less  than 
the  yields  of  kafir  com,  and  the  cmp  is  objectionable  because  the  stems  are  usually 
very  slender  and  the<  rop  lodges  badly  and  is  hard  to  harvest  -     Inn  ent seeds- 

men arc  selling  ii  at  a  high  price  simply  because  it  is  a  novelty  or  not  well  known. 

-I   MMAUY. 

Shallu  is  a  variety  of  sorghum  first  introduced  aboul  1890  by  (ho 
Louisiana  State  Experiment  Station,  and  soon  discarded. 

It  has  latch  reappeared  under  such  misleading  name-  a-  "Cali- 
fornia wheat,"  ''  Egyptian  wheat,"  and  several  others. 

Shallu  belongs  to  a  group  of  sorghums  quite  distincl  from  the  other 
groups  Lrrow  n  in  t  In-  country  . 

It  i-  easily  distinguished  hy  the  loose  conical  panicle  with  slender, 
drooping  branches  and  t  he  lanceolate  glumes  which  spread  wide  apart 
and  become  inrolled  at  maturity,  completely  exposing  the  oval  seed. 

Shallu  i-  claimed  h\  -mne  to  he  superior  to  all  other  sorghums  in 
droughl  resistance,  yield  and  value  of  the  grain,  and  tonnage  and 
quality  of  the  forage.     These  statements  arc  misleading. 

It  i-  now  being  advertised  and  sold  al  exorbitant  prices  as  a  drought- 
resistant  \  ariety  capable  of  yielding  200  to  100  bushels  of  graiD  to  the 
aciv.      Such  claims  are  absurd. 
[Cir.  ."."| 


10  THREE   MUCH-MISREPRESENTED   SORGHUMS. 

Experiments  conducted  by  the  writer  and  by  the  Office  of  Forage- 
Crop  Investigations,  as  well  as  the  observations  of  numerous  farmers, 
indicate  that  shallu  is  rather  inferior  to  milo  and  kafir  varieties  as  a 
grain  crop  and  to  kafirs  and  sorgos  as  a  forage  crop. 

Those  who  purpose  growing  it  are  advised  to  do  so  on  a  small  scale 
and  not  to  pay  exorbitant  prices  for  the  seed. 

All  farmers  who  test  shallu  in  the  season  of  1910  are  requested  to 
report  their  results  to  the  writer  of  this  paper.  Report  sheets  and 
envelopes  for  this  purpose  will  be  furnished  to  all  who  request  them. 

"CHOCOLATE   CORN.'' 

In  October,  1905,  the  brief  letter  reprinted  below  was  published 
in  one  of  the  daily  papers  of  the  eastern  United  States. 

In  your  department  "II.  II. "  asks  for  information  concerning  what  she  or  he  calls 
"chocolate  corn.  "  Quite  a  number  of  years  ago  Isaac  Newton,  first  Commissioner  of 
Agriculture  under  James  Buchanan,  sent  my  father  a  pint  of  chocolate  corn,  requesting 
him  to  plant  it  and  report  the  results  to  the  Department.  It  resembled  broom  corn  very 
closely — only  darker  and  ranker.  In  color  it  was  a  dark  brown.  I  suppose  the  crop 
of  seed,  which  was  thrashed  out  with  a  flail  on  the  barn  floor,  was  twenty  times  greater 
than  broom  corn;  I  think  the  crop  yielded  fully  200  barrels  to  the  acre.  Everything 
to  which  it  was  fed  ate  ravenously,  gaining  in  flesh  rapidly.  For  fattening  purposes 
I  never  saw  its  equal. 

Horses  and  cattle  would  eat  every  particle  of  the  stalk  after  it  had  been  thrashed. 
The  stalk  grew  to  a  great  height. 

I  remember  we  ground  some  of  it  in  the  coffee  mill  and  used  it  as  a  beverage  at  the 
table.  It  was  fairly  good,  but  not  as  clear  as  the  prepared  chocolate  which  comes  in 
cakes. 

I  never  heard  it  called  "chocolate  corn, "  nor  did  it  resemble  popcorn  in  the  least. 
There  was  no  ear  or  husk — just  the  seed  growing  on  the  tassel,  which  was  literally 
covered . 

I  think  it  can  be  obtained  at  the  Agricultural  Department  in  Washington.  It  is  a 
wonder  that  poultry  raisers  do  not  cultivate  it.  I  presume  its  value  as  an  article  of 
diet  for  all  kinds  of  poultry  can  not  be  equaled. 

M.  D. 

Some  of  the  statements  made  in  this  letter  naturally  attracted 
attention  in  many  quarters.  This  was  (•specially  true  of  those  state- 
ments concerning  the  yield  of  the  grain,  its  feeding  value,  its  use  as  a 
beverage,  and  the  source  of  the  seed.  It  scarcely  need  be  said  that 
the  estimates  of  the  yield  and  feeding  value  are  greatly  exaggerated. 

The  letter  just  quoted  was  rather  widely  copied  by  newspapers  and 
periodicals  of  all  classes.  The  result  was  a  Hood  of  Letters  directed  to 
the  Department  of  Agriculture,  asking  for  seed  and  information.  All 
such  inquirers  were  answered  and  given  the  known  facts.  Apparently 
the  same  letter  has  been  republished  recently,  and  the  matter  of 
"chocolate  corn"  is  being  agitated  anew.  The  following  statement 
lias  therefore  been  prepared  for  the  information  of  those  interested : 

(1)  The  Department  of  Agriculture  has  for  distribution  no  seed  of 
any  plant  called  "chocolate  corn. " 

[Cir.  50] 


THREE    MUCH-MISREPRESENTED    SORGHUMS.  11 

The  plant  once  known  and  used  under  that  name  was  -nine  one 
ol'  the  manj  \  ariet  ies  of  sorghum. 

(3)   From  the  brief  descriptions  given  bj  differenl  writers  il  is  cer- 
tain that  the  variet}  was  \m  similar  to  the  Early  Amber  sorgo 
to-daj  . 

The  writer  of  the  letter  quoted  does  not  saj  under  what  name  t ho 
seed  was  sent  to  his  father.  He  do<  -  stat  •,  however,  thai  he  never 
heardit  called  ''chocolate  corn."  So  far  as  recorded,  the  only  sorghum 
seed  distributed  !>>  the  United  States  Patent  Office  during  President 
Buchanan's  administration  was  that  of  the  Chinese  sorgo.  This  was 
sent  to  a  very  few  selected  persons  in  1855,  and  175  bushelsof  mostl} 
home-grown  seed  were  distributed  in  1857.  It  was  undoubtedly  this 
Chinese  sorgo  which  the  correspondent  recall-.  The  description 
quoted  tallies  very  well,  as  far  as  it  goes,  with  the  Chinese  sorgo. 
It  was  verj  similar  to  our  Earlj  Amber  sorgo.  In  fact,  the  Ajnber 
sorgo  variel  ies  are  supposed  \>y  main  to  have  been  derived  by  selection 
from  the  ( Chinese  sorgo. 

It  is  interesting  to  know,  however,  that  a  sorghum  variety  called 
"chocolate  corn,"  and  used  as  a  beverage,  was  known  at  a  much 
earlier  date.  The  following  quotation  from  a  paper6  on  Sorghum 
saccharatum,  or  (  hinese  sorgo,  written  in  1S57,  is  sufficient  to  indicate 
the  use  of  such  a  variety  about    1830: 

It  i~  by  some  supposed  to  bave  been  cultivated  i<>  a  Limited  extent  in  western 
Pennsylvania,  eastern  Ohio,  and  perhaps  in  other  Localities,  twenty-five  or  thirty 
yearn  since,  for  the  Beed  or  grain,  which  was  then  used,  in  Borne  instances,  as  an 

article  "i   t 1    by   farmers  who  experimented   in  its  cultivation.     There  were  at 

the  time  mentioned  two  varieties  cultivated,  one  having  black  panicles  under  the 
name  "chocolate,'1  and  tin'  other,  having  white  panicles,  was  called  "rice."  The 
"chocolate"  or  black  varietj  was  prepared  for  use  by  browning  the  seeds,  still  con- 
tained in  the  panicles,  in  the  manner  of  coffee,  and  then  making  a  coffee,  w  hich,  with 
the  addition  of  cream  and  BUgar,  resembled  chocolate  in  appearance  and  somewhat 
also  in  taste,  and  was  quite  palatable. 

Since  i he  Chinese  sorgo  was  not  known  t>>  Europe  until  1851,  and 
to  this  country  until  L853,  it  could  not  have  been  the  "chocolate 
corn"  of  L830.  But  a  black-panicled  varietj  was  introduced  to 
Europe  in  the  first  century  A.  I).,  and  was  known  to  many  European 
herbalists  of  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries.  It  was  grown 
and  described  in  Ital\  by  Arduino  in  L786.  That  it  was  imported  to 
the  United  States  is  the  natural  conclusion.  Johnson  grass  was 
brought  from  the  Mediterranean  region  aboul   1830. 

Most  descriptions  refer  to  tin-  sorghum  and  to  the  Chinese  sorgo 
a-  having  black  -ceil-.     \\>  sorghums  having  black  seeds  are  known. 

oSorgo  i-  the  name  adopted  for  the  sweet  or  saccharine  group  of  sorghums,  often 
erroneously  called  "sugar  cam 

bJohn  II.  Klippart,  corresponding  secretary,  Ohio  State  Board  "i  Agriculture. 
Rep  |>.  109. 

[Cir.  50] 


12  THREE    MUCH-MISREPRESENTED    SORGHUMS. 

The  Chinese  sorgo  and  the  Early  and  Minnesota  Ambers  have  shining 
black  glumes,  which  closely  surround  the  reddish-brown  seed  and 
often  remain  attached  after  thrashing.  In  such  cases  the  spikelet  is 
often  described  instead  of  the  seed. 

Nothing  is  known  of  the  nutritive  value  of  the  seeds  of  this  and 
other  sorghums  in  the  preparation  of  household  substitutes  for  coffee, 
chocolate,  etc.  Some  of  the  grain  sorghums  may  be  found  to  have 
value  as  the  basis  of  new  cereal  drinks  comparable  to  those  now 
made  from  wheat  preparations.  Tannin  is  present  in  larger  or  smaller 
quantities  in  the  seed  coats  of  all  the  brown  and  reddish-brown  seeds. 
There  are,  however,  white-seeded  varieties  of  kafir,  kowliang,  and 
milo. 

SUMMARY. 

Attention  has  been  recently  called  to  a  crop  under  the  name  of 
"chocolate  corn"  by  a  widely  copied  newspaper  paragraph. 

The  statements  regarding  its  high  yields  of  grain,  its  use  as  a  sub- 
stitute for  chocolate,  and  the  possibility  of  securing  seed  from  this 
Department  have  caused  a  great  deal  of  correspondence. 

The  Department  has  no  seed  of  any  crop  known  as  "chocolate 
corn"  for  distribution.     The  plant  mentioned  was  a  sorghum  variety. 

Some  variety  of  sorghum  was  cultivated  in  this  country  under  the 
name  of  "chocolate  corn"  as  early  as  about  1S30  and,  sparingly,  for 
some  time  thereafter.     It  was  probably  similar  to  Amber  sorgo. 

The  value  of  the  seeds  of  the  various  sorghums  in  the  preparation 
of  a  beverage  is  not  known.  It  may  be  possible  to  use  them  for  this 
purpose,  as  other  grains  are  used  in  preparing  cereal  drinks. 

GOOSENECK  SORGO  ("TEXAS  SEEDED  RIBBON  CANE"). 

There  exists  among  farmers  and  seedsmen  at  the  present  time  a 
great  deal  of  confusion  concerning  the  plant  known  as  Gooseneck 
sorgo,  and  also  passing  under  other  names.  The  trouble  has  been 
largely  caused  by  the  use  of  the  name  "Seeded  Ribbon  cane"  for  a 
sorghum.  A  brief  statement  of  facts  gathered  during  the  past  five 
years  may  serve  to  make  the  matter  clear. 

In  order  to  understand  how  the  use  of  this  name  has  caused  t  rouble, 
the  following  preliminary  facts  must  be  kept  in  mind:  (1)  The  true 
sugar  cane  (Saccharum  officinarum)  is  commonly  known  as  "Ribbon 
cane"  in  the  Gulf  States  where  it  is  grown.  (2)  It  does  not  produce 
seed  in  this  country,  and  fields  are  always  started  by  planting  the 
stalks,  .which  is  a  comparatively  laborious  and  expensive  process. 
(3)  Sugar  planters  would  eagerly  welcome  a  true  sugar  cane  which 
could  be  grown  from  seed.  (4)  Sugar  cane  requires  a  subtropical 
climate,  and  therefore  can  not  be  grown  very  far  from  the  Gulf  States. 

[Cir.  50] 


THREE    MUCH    MISREPRESENTED   S0RGH1    VIS 


L3 


Beginning  about  six  years  ago,  a  planl  was  much  advertised  and 
its  seeds  widely  sold  at  high  prices  under  the  name  of  "Texas  Seeded 
Ribbon  cane."  It  was  claimed  to  be  a  form  of  true  sugar  cane  which 
nol  only  produced  seed,  bul  could  be  grown  true  from  seed,  thus  doing 
away  with  the  labor  of  preserving  and  planting  the  stalks. 

It  was  said  to  grow  successfully  as  far  north  as  northern  Oklahoma 
and  Arkansas.  It  was  further  claimed  that  the  United  States  De- 
partment of  Agriculture  had  pronounced  it  a  true  sugar  cane.  This 
last  st atement  was,  of  course,  prompt  ly 
denied. 

Brief  invesl  igal  ion  showed  thai  t  he 
plant  was  a  sorghum  and  the  firsl  sea- 
son's trials  identified  it  as  the  <  roose- 
neck  sorgo  (fig.  2).  This  was  probably 
one  of  the  African  imphees  obtained  in 
Natal  by  Leonard  Wray  in  1851  and 
introduced  to  Europe  in  L85 1  and  to 
the  United  States  in  1857.  It  was  a 
well-known  variety  during  the  days 
when  sorgos  were  grown  for  sugar  pur- 
poses, hut  had  largely  disappeared  from 
cultivation  after  those  experiments 
w  ere  discontinued." 

As  soon  as  these  facts  were  learned 
a  brief  statement  was  given  to  the  agri- 
cultural press  and  a  great  many  in- 
quirers informed  by  letter.  In  the 
mean  t  ime.  many  farmers  w  ho  had  pur- 
chased and  planted  seed  recognized  the 
crop  as  the  old  Gooseneck  sorgo.  They 
reported  t  heir  belief  both  to  t  his  De- 
partment and  to  their  agricultural 
papers.  However,  the  sale  of  seed  as 
that  of  a  true  sugar  cane  was  continued 
under  the  impetus  of  skillful  advertis- 
ing. The  warnings  of  the  farmers  firsl  humbugged  seemed  with- 
out effeel . 

At   the   close   of   the   Second    season    a    new    complication    appealed. 

Many  farmers  reported  that  their  crop,  while  clearly  a  sorghum,  was 
not  t he  Gooseneck  variety  hut  some  other.  An  examination  of  many 
samples  submitted  for  idem  ifical  inn  showed  that  Sumac,  ( )range,  and 
Planter  sorgos,  all  varieties  with  erect  beads,  were  being  grown  under 

the  name  of  "Seeded    Ribbon  cane." 


Fig.  2.— A  head  of  Gooseneck  sorgo.    (Oue- 
thinl  aatural  si  i 


"  At  ih''  presenl  time  it  is  know  a  t"  !»•  of  great  value  as  a  sirup  and  fodder  i  - 

the  Southern  State.-. 
[Cir.  50] 


14  THREE    MUCH-MISREPRESENTED   SORGHUMS. 

From  these  facts  it  was  a  natural  inference  that,  when  their  available 
supply  of  the  seed  of  Gooseneck  sorgo  was  exhausted,  growers  and 
dealers  had  substituted  the  seed  of  these  other  sorgo  varieties  rather 
than  lose  sales  at  very  profitable  prices.  When  attention  was  called 
to  these  facts  the  buying  public  was  assured  by  some  of  the  growers 
and  dealers  that  .there  were  two  strains  of  "Seeded  Ribbon  cane," 
one  "Gooseneck"  and  the  other  "Straightneck,"  and  the  substitution 
was  continued.  Recently  a  fourth  variety,  having  erect  heads,  has 
been  offered  by  a  grower  as  "Straightneck  Seeded  Ribbon  cane." 
This  time  it  is  the  Sapling  sorgo,  once  well  known  under  the  name 
"Link's  Hybrid." 

It  is  gratifying  to  note  that  the  leading  seed  firms  handling  sorghum 
seeds  in  the  Southwest,  while  still  using  the  name  "Seeded  Ribbon 
cane,"  use  also  the  correct  name,  "Gooseneck  sorgo,"  as  an  additional 
title  in  describing  this  crop.  This  is  helping  much  to  clear  up  the 
matter  in  the  mind  of  the  public.  It  will  be  still  better  when  the 
misleading  name  "Seeded  Ribbon  cane  "  is  dropped  entirely  and  this 
variety  sold  under  its  true  name,  "Gooseneck  sorgo,"  alone.  It  is 
to  be  hoped  also  that  the  advertising  and  sale  of  other  old  and  well- 
known  sorgo  varieties,  as  "Straightneck  Seeded  Ribbon  cane,"  will 
be  stopped. 

SUMMARY. 

True  sugar  cane  (SaccJiarum  officinarum)  is  commonly  known  as 
"Ribbon  cane."  In  the  past  few  years  a  variety  of  sorgo  has  been 
widely  advertised  and  sold  as  "Texas  Seeded  Ribbon  cane." 

It  was  at  first  claimed  that  this  was  a  true  sugar  cane  (Ribbon 
cane)  which  could  be  grown  from  seed  and  cultivated  much  farther 
north  than  other  forms  of  sugar  cane. 

Investigation  showed  that  the  plant  was  the  once  well-known 
Gooseneck  sorgo,  a  true  sorghum,  and  this  fact  was  made  known  by 
publication  and  through  correspondence. 

The  seed  continued,  however,  to  be  advertised  and  widely  sold  at 
high  prices,  and  when  the  supply  ran  short  seeds  of  other  sorgo  varie- 
ties, having  erect  heads,  were  substituted  for  the  Gooseneck  sorgo. 

Complaining  growers  were  then  assured  that  there  were  two  strains 
of  "Seeded  Ribbon  cane,"  one  "Gooseneck"  and  the  other  "Straight- 
neck." The  sorgo  varieties  thus  sold  were  Sumac,  Orange,  and 
Planter.  Recently  a  fourth,  Sapling  sorgo,  has  been  offered  by  a 
grower  as  "Straightneck  Seeded  Ribbon  cane." 

During  the  past  two  years  leading  seed  firms  in  the  Southwesl  have 
hccn  explaining  that  the  plant  offered  as  "Seeded  Ribbon  cane"  is 
( i'Hi^eneck  sorgo. 

Approved: 

James  Wilson, 

Secretarij  of  Agriculture. 

Washington,  D.  C,  January  8, 1910. 

[Cir.  50]  Q 


UNIVERSITY  OF  FLORIDA 


3  1262  08928  9739 


